Carbone Riviera, a restaurant partnership between co-founders Mario Carbone, Jeff Zalaznick and Rich Torrisi, and MGM Resorts at the Bellagio, is open on the Las Vegas Strip.
Created by Major Food Group International, Carbone Riviera is on the former site of the Picasso restaurant. Featuring an interpretation of Italian coastal dining, the restaurant showcases an array of seafood dishes flown in daily.
“Major Food Group’s unparalleled creativity and commitment to excellence have made them an extraordinary partner over the past decade,” MGM Resorts Chief Content, Hospitality & Development Officer Ari Kastrati said in a statement. “Together, we’ve created a world-class seafood dining experience that will redefine Las Vegas luxury — where Bellagio guests can savor exceptional cuisine, impeccable hospitality and breathtaking Fountain views in a setting beyond compare.”
Carbone Riviera features interior design by Martin Brudnizki, artworks by Miró, Picasso, Renoir and, in a first, for Bellagio, a deck featuring a Riva yacht, where guests can experience the Fountains at the Bellagio.
“It is an extraordinary honor to serve as the new custodians of one of America’s most iconic dining rooms,” said Major Food Group Co-Founder Jeff Zalaznick. “Carbone Riviera is the realization of a long-held dream — an expression of our passion, creativity, and relentless pursuit of excellence. Drawing on a decade spent breaking boundaries, our intention is to create the greatest fish restaurant this country has ever seen.”
Carbone Riviera will feature a changing collection of crudo and other indulgences. These can include Nantucket Bay Scallops with Brown Butter and Shaved White Truffles; Lightly Grilled Chu Toro with Aceto Balsamic and Crispy Leeks; Scottish Langoustines in a Green Acqua Pazza; and, in a nod to Carbone’s Italian-American roots, Freshly Baked Zeppole with Golden Osetra Caviar.
Also featured will be antipasti, fritti and insalata. Selections in this category range from Lobster Polpette Fra Diavolo and Grilled Octopus Peperonata to a preparation of calamari and Mario’s Famous di Mare Salad.
Guests also will be able to try the Linguine Vongole Rosso, Cappellini Crab AOP, Ricotta Gnudi with Caviar, and a signature two-pound lobster arrabbiata served with hand-crafted fettuccine.
A news release said “the main event” is Carbone Riviera’s whole-fish program: a nightly selection of sea bream, red snapper, dover sole, branzino, turbot and other varieties of varying weights and provenances, allowing guests to experience the best fish from every corner of the world in one meal, grilled over Japanese charcoal, roasted al forno, or baked in a salt crust.
Carbone classics such as Spicy Rigatoni Vodka and Caesar alla ZZ appear on the menu, along with a selection of steaks from Snake River Farms. Desserts include Carbone’s take on traditional dolci, such as Stracciatella Tiramisu and Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake.
“Carbone Riviera is a new chapter for CARBONE — same DNA, completely fresh expression — on a stage unlike anywhere else in the world,” said Chef and Major Food Group Co-Founder Mario Carbone. “Here, we’re leaning into seafood at the highest level in a way that’s far beyond anything we’ve done before: a grand seafood display, a whole fish program orchestrated with ceremony, pastas anchored by pristine ingredients. The energy is coastal, the room brighter and more open. From the moment you step inside, it feels like you’ve arrived somewhere timeless on the Riviera. Our goal is to deliver that ‘wow’ factor every single time you join us: to make it feel just as special on someone’s tenth visit as their first.”
Carbone Riviera’s wine list focuses on champagne, white burgundy and coastal Italian whites that pair with the crudo and antipasti. Also available are a selection of reds from Tuscany, Piedmont, Burgundy and the Rhone. The restaurant’s cocktail program balances classics with new signatures that channel the Italian coast, such as the Pistachio Colada made with absinthe, pineapple, pistachio and amaro, along with the Strawberry Pomodoro featuring rum, bergamot, strawberry and mint.
Guests can also opt for a variety of non-alcoholic libations.
The 240-seat restaurant is a collaboration between international designer Martin Brudnizki, MGM Resorts and Major Food Group. The interiors are inspired by MFG’s sense of contemporary elegance, the Mediterranean and Picasso’s Vallauris years — a period marked by warmth, creativity and the ease of the French Riviera. The resulting design channels this spirit through a palette of terracotta, golds and clay tones, balanced by the fresh blues of the sea.
A carefully choreographed entry sequence establishes a sense of transition from the casino to the restaurant. Guests arrive through a custom sea-inspired mosaic portal, with a path that winds through an abstracted citrus grove, where a plaster arcade of sculpted branches and lemon-shaped sconces leads past art-filled niches framing the host stand before arriving at a mosaic-clad vestibule.
The dining room features deep terra cotta leather mirrored banquettes, swirling mosaic-clad archways and custom Murano glass chandeliers and sconces. The main room opens up to two terraces that extend the experience outdoors, offering views of Lago di Como as an interplay between the Las Vegas spectacle and Riviera sophistication.
Docked on the patio at Carbone Riviera, Fortuna, Bellagio’s 33-foot Riva yacht, offers invited guests a way to experience the Bellagio’s Fountains. One of only 18 in the world, Fortuna is part of the limited-edition Riva “Anniversario” collection, handcrafted in Italy and celebrated as a symbol of timeless elegance and masterful craftsmanship.
Carbone Riviera is open daily from 5–11 p.m. Reservations are available via Bellagio.com or by calling Bellagio Concierge at (702) 693-6705.
Dining and Cooking